Hundreds turn out for tangi

Don Farmer | 29th June 2009

One of Wairarapa's favourite rugby sons was farewelled at a massive tangi held at Papawai Marae, Greytown, yesterday that saw many of the country's rugby elite among the army of mourners.

All Blacks Ma'a Nonu, Rodney So'oialo, Neemia Tialata and Piri Weepu were included in the estimated 1200 mourners who packed the marae to pay their last respects to Robert Guildford, and spilled out along Pah Road.

All four have played alongside Mr Guildford's oldest son Zac in the Hurricane's Super 14 squad.

Cars were backed up along both sides of Papawai Road halfway to the Greytown town boundary in what some locals later described as the largest tangi held at the marae in living memory.

Mr Guildford, a staunch member of Greytown Rugby Club, even though he and his family had lived the past few years in Hawke's Bay, died in the stands in Tokyo a week ago while watching Zac playing in a World Cup under-20s rugby final.

His body had been flown back from Japan to Auckland then to Napier and was eventually brought back to his home marae, before burial at Pukio urupa.

Up to 300 people from Hawke's Bay made the trip to Papawai to pay their respects and it is estimated 200 mourners from Wellington joined Wairarapa mourners at the tangi.

Others came from as far afield as Kaitaia, Invercargill and from Australia.

In a touching service, friends and family spoke of the huge impact Mr Guildford had made on many, many people and the emphasis of the tangi was firmly on celebrating his life and not simply on the sadness of his loss.

Mr Guildford's brother Daren said the extended family were humbled to see how many people had made the journey to the marae, especially as his brother was a man who hated anyone fussing over him.

"He would have hated all this fuss but this time I have to say to my brother 'tough luck'."

Daren spoke of a fun curriculum vitae prepared after his brother's passing that would have told prospective employers what sort of man Robert was.

This would have shown him to be a man who commanded huge respect, had a huge love of life, was witty but humble and who never had a bad word for anyone.

He was a man who had friends from all walks of life, loved catching up with them and was extremely loyal.

Mr Guildford's brother-in-law, Glenn Burt, spoke of Robert's early life, the challenges he had faced including the early death of his mother Mary, how he met and married his wife Deb, and shared many anecdotes of Robert's sense of humour.

These included an occasion while living on his lifestyle block in Hawke's Bay when Robert had told Mr Burt he had a sick sheep.

"He told me the sheep looked so crook he had given it a couple of panadol.

"I said: 'Bro, you are going to make Farmer of the Year'."

Mr Burt told of his brother-in-law's great love not only of rugby and his family but also of horse racing and card playing.

He had once gone into partnership in a racehorse "but all he got from that was a photo on his wall that had cost him $6000".

Other speakers at the tangi included Robert's older brother David and his wife, who live in Perth, friend Steve Ross and Robert's younger son Victor.

Victor spoke of the emptiness he felt when he was told of his father's death in Japan but how he has since felt his father's strength.

"Dad, my mate, I am going to miss you with all my heart.

"You will always be my idol."

As the coffin was carried to the hearse a huge guard of honour was formed, made up of many of Robert's rugby mates, members of the New Zealand under-20 team and friends, and a haka was performed.

Traffic leaving the marae for Pukio urupa was so heavy a continuous convoy stretched from the marae to the East Street intersection of Papawai Road, with police pointsmen on duty to avoid traffic jams as the cars made their way on to the highway.